2. analog
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Thinking about an Audio Research PH5

Am I nuts? This is a $2000 piece that I can probly get a good deal on from my local dealer since I'm a good customer.My TT is a music Hall MMF9 that they sold me at a Big discount mainly because the MMF7 I originally purchased was defective. Is this overkill for this TT or will I be able to hear a difference. My current pre-amp was tweaked by an Agoner last year at a cost of $550. It's an Adcom and the tweak was noticable. The appeal of the Music Hall was the lack of constant tinkering involved. Is this a good move or should I keep saving for a better rig? My main amp is an Audio Research 150.2 and my main speakers are JM Lab Electra 926's. Thanks for the input!
john_fink
5 responses Add your response
john_fink OP
140 posts
 
Thanks for all the input. My local dealer is going to let me try an ARC SP16 pre. We'll see what happens. Thanks.
martykl
3,578 posts
 
You may want to consider a used Audible Illusions Modulus Pre w/phono.
They're very good, widely available and inexpensive. The overall sound through the phono is a bit warmer than ARC (and a bit noisier) but, on balance you may prefer it to an all ARC set up (I did).

No shot at ARC intended here, I stilll use an ARC SP25 and VT130se, but have inserted an Aesthetix phono stage. The Modulus lives on in a second (actually fifth) system in the bedroom.

Good Luck.

Marty
etbaby
138 posts
 
Buy an SP16 with the phono built in. I think this will give you the best of both worlds-A very good line section and a good phono for about $2000.
downunder
1,329 posts
 
The PH5 is very very good. It is a tube phono stage with a FET providing the initial gain, so for a tube unit it is quiet. Not as quiet as SS thou, but quiet non the less.
Musically it is great and changing loading and mono/stereo at the flick of a button is good.
personally I think it sounds musically better than the rhea and steelhead in my system.

I don't think it is overkill as you know the phono stage will be able to cope with any upgrades you around it in the future.

borrow it from your dealer and have a listen.
sdcampbell
2,136 posts
 
About 6 months ago, I did an in-home audition of the PH5 and thought it sounded quite good. In its' price range, however, it has a LOT of stiff competition. (I eventually bought a "low mileage" Bryston BP-1.5 phono preamp for $1100.)

Since you asked for opinions, here's mine, FWIW: I think you should spend the money on a really good preamp instead. Feeding a high-resolution signal from your analog front end into the Adcom does not, to my mind, make good sense. Don't misunderstand -- I'm not bashing Adcom -- I have owned a good deal of Adcom gear, and also sold it professionally. That said, I would not pair the AR PH5 with an Adcom preamp.
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